Do you remember my post on the insanity and sheer wrongness surrounding the fact that the Chinese people have never seen contemporary American paintings before? Well, we are doing something about it with the opening of the historic exhibit, "Contemporary American Realism" at the Beijing World Art Museum. The show is the first major exhibit of American realism in China. This exhibit of 100
paintings by 49 American artists will travel to six venues in China, including to Dalien, Tianjin, Wuhan (Hubei
Province), Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai. The expected total museum
attendance for the tour is more one million people, over a period of 15
months. It's an incredible moment for the contemporary realist movement!
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| Here's me on the balcony at Tian' An Men. |
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I am here in Beijing and yesterday was my first day of touring the city with a group of American realist artists who have come to attend the show. Our hosts from the World Art Museum have rolled out the red carpet to show us the best of Beijing's historic sites, culture, and cuisine. We have visited the Nation Museum of China on Tian' An Men Square, and walked through the dazzling Forbidden City. We climbed Jing Shan Summit, the Buddhist shrine at the end of the Forbidden City and took in the breath taking view of the entire city.
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| The view from Jing Shan summit. |
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A gala opening at the museum was held, and the large exhibition hall was elegantly hung with the 100 American paintings that make up the show. We artists and organizers so excited to see how the public receives the work and our American painting techniques. The museum staff expected a very large turn out, as realist painting and American culture is of tremendous interest to the Chinese audience. I feel very privileged to be extended such warm hospitality and enthusiasm for the work of our American painters. It seems to me a sign of how very highly the Chinese citizenry values artistic creation and the contributions of artists to culture.
More soon!
--Patricia
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The artists and hosts, left to right:
Paul McCormack, Daniel Sprick, Stephen Ling, Noha Valenti,
Tom Valenti, Patricia Watwood, Nanette Fluhr, Katie O'Hagan,
Greg Mortenson, Chen Xiaolen, Joshua LaRock and Xu Fei.
Arriving later: Max Ginsberg, Michael Klein, and Ronald Sherr.
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Participating artists in "Contemporary American Realism":
Steve Assael, Warren Chang, Jacob Collins, Tony Curanaj, Gabriella Dellosso, Jon DeMartin, Teresa Elliott, Gary T. Erbe, Peter Fiore, Nanette Fluhr, Max Ginsberg, David Gluck, Gary Godbee, Daniel E. Greene, Michael Grimaldi, Benat Inglesias, Michael Klein, Maria Kreyn, Joshua LaRock, Jeffrey T. Larson, David A. Leffel, Kate Lehman, Steven Levin, Robert Liberace, Jeremy Lipking, Paul McCormack, Sherrie McGraw, Edward Minoff, Greg Mortenson, Katie O'Hagan, Paul Oxborough, Graydon Parrish, Charles Pfahl, Tony Pro, Christopher Pugliese, Thomas Reis, Anthony J. Ryder, Cesar Santos, Travis Schlaht, Nelson Shanks, Ronald N. Sherr, Daniel Sprick, Sharon Sprung, Dan Thompson, Joseph Todorovitch, Nicole Michelle Tully, Thomas Valenti, Scott Waddell, Anthony Waichulis, and Patricia Watwood and Will Wilson.
The Museum tour schedule is as follows:
Beijing World Art Museum
Sept.15 - Nov. 4, 2012
(No. 9A Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China)
Dalian Modern Museum
Nov. 14, 2012 - Jan. 13, 2013
(No. 10 Huizhan Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, 116023, China)
Tianjin Art Museum
Jan. 23 - Mar. 20, 2013
(Pingjiang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300201, China)
Hubei Provincial Museum
Apr. 1 - May 26, 2013
(No. 156 Wuchang East Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430077, China)
Zhejiang Provincial Museum
June 3 - Jul. 21, 2013
(No. 25 Gushan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310007, China)
Shanghai Chinese Arts Palace,
Jul. 30 - Oct. 30, 2013
(Shanghai World Expo China Pavilion)
Additional information is also available:
About the ACOPAL artists and the hosting museum, The World Art Museum in Beijing.